October 24, 2013

Stampin' Up! is always a step ahead of the ball and looking out for us. Knowing that the upcoming holiday season gets really busy, they have set Santa's elves to work cutting and scoring card stock so that we don't have to. Now you can purchase pre-cut and pre-scored card bases so that you can create a stack of cards in no time-or even just a card or two. Think of it . . . holiday cards, thank you cards, party invitations, and more in a snap! (I can hear you breathe a sigh of relief.)

So Many Color Choices!

The Card Bases are made from Stampin' Up!'s high-quality cardstock! They are available in a variety of colors for any occasion or creative whim. The colors have been chosen to coordinate with the holiday catalog Designer Series Papers-to make it even easier to get those holiday cards done.

If you don't already know this, Stampin' UP is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Their actual anniversary day is this week so they have decided to give us another big special...25 stamp sets at 25% off. Just CLICK HERE to see all the sets you can choose from. You will see a highlighted link in the left column that says "25 Stamps 25% off". You can also place an order from this same link.

Stampin' Up is running a contest for demonstrators that will reward us with a free stamp set from the first catalog in 2014 if we sell 25 of these stamp sets. So I'm going to run a contest to help me reach my goal and reward my customers at the same time.

If you are the FIRST PERSON to buy one of these sets, you will get your name in a drawing to win a free stamp set from my gift basket. And if you are one of the first 5 to respond, you will receive a gift made using our new Envelope Punch Board and directions on how to recreate it. If the total orders received this week, exceed $150, the contest winner will receive $25 in product of your choice rather than a free stamp set from my gift basket.

To be entered into the contest, you will need to enter this Hostess Code in the lower left corner of your online order...VGXUGW2G.Using this code also will insure that your order gets shipped directly to your door!

To place your order, CLICK HERE. You will see a highlighted link in the left column that says "25 Stamps 25% off". If you have any questions, please contact me.

October 20, 2013

I love it when Stampin' Up surprises me with announcements about new products and wanted to share the excitement with you. Check out the three new products below...

The EVERYDAY OCCASIONS KIT * ITEM #134797 * $29.95

Are you tired of spending high prices for greeting cards? Now you don't have to because Stampin' Up is making it easy for you to make your own with the Everyday Occasions Cardmaking Kit. The kit includes everything you need to create 20 beautiful cards for almost any occasion. The only thing you will need is adhesive...envelopes are also included!

Included in the kit is this set of 7 clear mount stamps which in itself is valued at $14.95 making the kit a great value. The cards in this kit are simple to create and would make a great gift for any beginner. Now you'll always have the card you need on hand.

If you haven't tried our Photopolymer stamps, this is a great set to do so. They are entirely transparent making it easy for placement. They stick well to our clear blocks and they won't yellow or cloud over time like many on the market tend to do. And the best part is that they are priced for every budget.

If you read my post from yesterday, you knw that I am a big fan of the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set. I love the versatility and how easy it can transform a card background from blah to beautiful. I can't quit playing with this set and wanted to share a few of the cards that have come out of my recent playtime with the "grand master of grunge"!!

Need a birthday card? No worries with Gorgeous Grunge and a few large rhinestones!

Here's a totally different version of a birthday card using Gorgeous Grunge and the Make a Wish stamp set. I just added some small rhinestones and the little star stamp from Pennant Parade. The colors in this card are Crushed Curry card stock with Cajun Craze ink.

In this card, I used some Melon Mambo Washi Tape from the Gingham Garden collection and used the Get Well stamp from Tag It. The colors are Melon Mambo and Marina Mist along with a few spots of Stazon. The sentiment was "cut out" using the Chalk Talk framelits and added using Dimensionals.

If I have convinced you that Gorgeous Grunge is a "must have" for your own stamp collection, you can CLICK HERE to order online 24/7.

Have you taken any notice of the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set?? I totally overlooked it when I first saw it in the catalog and then I started seeing it everywhere. It can be used in so many ways but it's easy to miss with all the beautiful images in this year's catalog.

I used it in this card to stamp the background...so subtle but it makes all the difference in the card. I used the "hello" sentiment from the Four You stamp set.

The butterflies are stamped with the Papillon Potpourri stamp set and punched using the Elegant Butterfly and the Bitty Butterfly punches. There are two layers...one stamped on the Whisper White and another stamped, punched and layered with Dimensionals.

The black lines for the frame and for the center of the butterfly are added using a Basic Black marker. And of course, you can't have a beautiful card like this without some bling so I added some rhinestone jewels.

The colors used are Pool Party and Calypso Coral.

If you have any questions about recreating this card or would like assistance in placing an order, please feel free to contact me. I am "at your Serviss"!

I'm a little behind schedule getting the Stampers Club projects posted but here's one from September. It highlights the new Envelope Liner Framelits. It's so fun using a piece of Designer Series Paper in the card you are making and then making a matching envelope liner...what do you think??

To make the card, I used 1" x 1" squares from the Sweater Weather Designer Series paper to form the background for the main image. The main image was made using the Ronald McDonald stamp set for the year, Tag It! NOTE: Each time someone purchases this stamp set, Stampin' Up! donates $3 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities so you can feel good about yourself when you purchase Tag It knowing you are making a difference in the life of a very ill child and their family.

I inked up the stamp in Early Espresso and then I used a blender pen to "erase" the parts of the stamp that I wanted to make a different color. I used Crushed Curry for one of the balloons and Tangerine Tango to color the other. I cut the center balloon out and raised it using a Dimensional. I also used Tangerine Tango to color the word "Celebrate".

The main image was then "cut out" using the Chalk Talk framelits and mounted with Dimensionals onto the background which is also mounted on Whisper White and Early Espresso card stock. The card is "note card" size so I cute the center strip of Early Espresso to measure 5" x 1 1/4" and added it to the center of the Crumb Cake card front.

If you have any questions about this card or if you would like assistance ordering the items to recreate the card, feel free to contact me.

This is one of those "fall in love with" projects and perfect for party favors. This was one of the projects from the September Stampers Club. You will need the following supplies to recreate this project.

Chalk Talk stamp set and Chalk Talk Framelits (You can save 15% when you buy the bundle!)

Elephant Box Car - To make the box car, use Bermuda Bay ink and the Chalk Talk stamp set to stamp images. Use the Chalk Talk framelits to "cut out" the box car sides. Use the Bermuda Bay ink on Whisper White card stock to stamp the elephant. You will want to stamp the image twice and hand cut out the ear from the second image and layer it with Dimensionals. Punch out the stamped images with the 1 1/4" circle punch and layer them on Bermuda Bay card stock circles punched out using the 1 3/8" circle punch. Attach to the box car sides using Dimensionals. Set aside.

Lion Box Car - Follow directions above substituting Calypso Coral ink instead of Bermuda Bay. When you stamp the lion, you will stamp two images and punch out just the head on the second image using the 7/8" Scallop Circle Punch and layer it using Dimensionals.

To form the box, you will need a 4" x 2 1/2" piece of coordinating cardstock...either Coastal Cabana or Peach Parfait...depending on the box you are making. You will score the long sides at 1/2" and the short sides at 1". I am attaching a photo below of one I have cut from chipboard just as a template. Snip the score marks where indicated in the photo. Form box using Sticky Strip and attach the box car pieces to each long side. (I recommend Sticky Strip or Tombow mulitpurpose glue.)

Punch out wheels using the 1/2" and 3/4" circle punches and attach with Dimensionals. Fill a cello bag with animal crackers and tie with Ruffled Trim ribbon.

I absolutely LOVE the new Envelope Liner Framelits to decorate my envelopes but I have found another fun use for the smallest size framelit. Check out this card above where I have made a little pocket on my card front. You can use the pocket just to add a special message or you can tuck a gift card inside. You could put the pocket on the inside of the card as well.

Here is a photo where I used the middle size Envelope Liner (notecard size). I love it...isn't it cute??

Envelope Liner Framelits - Item # 132172

I know you are thinking you want to order those Envelope Liner Framelits!! I know you will have as much fun with them as I am.

You can CLICK HERE if you would like to place your order online or contact me for assistance.

October 19, 2013

I love the colors in this card...very calming! This was the second project from this month's Stampers Club. We used the "Direct to Rubber" technique where you use markers to color directly onto the rubber stamp to create a multi-color effect.

1. For the background, place a piece of Pear Pizzazz card stock inside the Polka Dot Embossing folder. and run it through the Big Shot. Add a 3" x 3 3/8" piece of Designer Series Paper to the center. (I used Afternoon Picnic.)

2. Cut a piece of Wisteria Wonder card stock 1 3/4" x 4" and use the Ticket Corner Punch (retired). If you don't have that punch, you can use the circle punch in the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack and turn it upside down so you can see where to punch.

3. Use the Make a Wish stamp in the set by the same name and stamp in Wisteria Wonder. Using a blender pen, erase the areas that you want to color a different color. I used Crushed Curry, Coastal Cabana and Pear Pizzazz markers to create the multi-color effect on my card.

4. Use Apothecary Accents Framelits to cut out the sentiment. Attach it using Dimensionals to the Wisteria Wonder card stock and Add a piece of Coastal Cabana 3/8" Ruffle Stretch Trim to the bottom of element.

5. Add a button of your choice as an embellishment. Great selection of page 169 of the catalog.